[Settling Mission, Connecting to Subplot…]
[Mission Completion: 100%]
[Plot Completion: 0%]
Chu Qianze stretched lazily, dismissing the panel. “No need for a break. Let’s move on to the next world.”
[Alright. Connecting to the next world——]
[Preparing for transfer——]
“Unfortunately, due to the recent company downsizing, your name is on the list,” the announcement came right after landing in the new world. Chu Qianze silently lowered his head, expressing his discontent. Internally, he signaled the system to quickly display the relevant information.
[Loading content]
[The holographic game “Sheng Shi” quickly became popular after its launch, attracting countless players. Praised for its realism, freedom, and well-developed world setting, it was even referred to as the second world.]
[Ordinary office worker Bai Lian (in-game name: Bai Che), after joining the game, encounters the top player and master tactician Zong Xinjue (in-game name), the president of one of the three major guilds, Loki, An Jueluo (in-game name), and a series of male gods, including the undercover assassin… Faced with them, where will he go from here?]
Chu Qianze suppressed the slight twitch of his lips. What on earth was all this?
Just arrived and already laid off…
As HR seemed poised to say something more, Chu Qianze lifted his eyes, smiled lightly, and said, “Thanks for your care during this time.”
With that, he gave a slight bow and turned to leave.
Following the system’s guidance back to his desk, Chu Qianze thought, Can we discuss this? Next time, can we land in a more reliable place?
[Being laid off here is one of the unforgettable memories of the original host, conveniently positioned. Moreover, just stuck in the early stages of the plot, the host has considerable initiative.]
Alright.
Returning to his desk, Chu Qianze found that his things had already been neatly arranged. It seemed the original host had anticipated being laid off in advance.
Taking the box, he left the company.
After turning a corner, he saw a huge holographic projection floating in the air next to a wall.
“Sheng Shi, thriving because of you.”
This was the company that developed the Sheng Shi game!
…Too bad he had already been laid off.
Back at home, shocked by the chaotic environment, Chu Qianze couldn’t stand it and began a cleaning spree.
After finishing the cleanup and airing out all the sheets and blankets, he finally had the mood to inquire about what would come next:
“What’s the mission this time?”
[Even ordinary people have big dreams. Unwilling to accept mediocrity after being laid off, you glimpse the market in the field of holographic games and are prepared to participate, seeking a new path.]
[Mission: Enter the “Sheng Shi” game]
[Mission: Choose a medical-related profession]
[Mission: Leave the newbie village within one month of entering the game]
Chu Qianze observed the panel and felt that these missions were more like setting a general direction for himself.
“The original host chose a medical-related profession initially and left the newbie village on the thirtieth day?” he asked tentatively.
The screen flickered, and then a sentence slowly appeared.
[Yes.]
“He wanted to compensate for some regret, so he handed over his social identity to you, hoping to exchange it for the realization of a wish?” Chu Qianze exercised his imagination.
[Insufficient host privileges. Unable to provide information.]
“Alright,” Chu Qianze accepted the limitation. He stretched his shoulders and began searching for discussions related to Sheng Shi. He also learned some of the game’s settings.
For example, players from levels 1 to 9 could only stay in the newbie village. At level 10, they would receive a token, allowing them to leave the newbie village and go to other areas.
For example, ordinary missions had low difficulty and extremely low experience gains. It was challenging to obtain higher-level missions, and if the difficulty was too high and the player couldn’t complete it, failing would decrease the NPC’s favorability. In summary, leveling up was very difficult.
For example, the game had strong flexibility. Missions were entirely triggered by the player. Based on different dialogues, players could trigger various missions. Even with the same dialogue, different rewards could be obtained due to differences in attributes, attitudes, and other factors.
After a quick overview, Chu Qianze felt that treating it as a simple game wouldn’t do.
When he felt he had a good grasp of it, he picked up the household light brain and placed it next to the system.
“Look, aren’t you two similar?”
[…Please refrain from comparing household light brains to the humble me. Its performance is much lower than mine.]
“I also think it’s not very user-friendly.”
Chu Qianze explored its usage, flipped to the shopping category, and searched for game helmets.
Seeing the host linger on the low-level helmets for the longest time, the system couldn’t help but remind:
[The experience with low-level helmets is quite ordinary. In combat situations, compared to other players, it’s equivalent to a player with dropped frames. Please, host, consider your decision rationally.]
Chu Qianze looked up, somewhat puzzled. “What are you talking about? Who said I’m buying a helmet?”
[…]
Without purchasing a game helmet, how would he enter the game and complete missions?
“I’m just checking the prices. I’ve already bought gaming equipment,” Chu Qianze scrolled through the pages.
“A low-level helmet costs as much as a few months’ salary for an average family, not to mention higher-level helmets and even more advanced gaming gear. It’s practically unaffordable.”
“And the original host actually managed to get a gaming warehouse; he must have spared no expense,” Chu Qianze sighed. Just as he did, a message popped up, indicating that a delivery had arrived.
Clicking to accept, a large opening appeared in the ceiling, and a massive package descended from it.
After securely placing the package, the ceiling automatically closed.
Walking over to unwrap the thing, Chu Qianze scrutinized what was called the gaming warehouse. “So, this is what it looks like. Why does it feel like a petri dish?”
Suddenly, he didn’t feel like going in.
Reminding himself to maintain professional conduct, he opened the gaming warehouse and lay down.
The machine automatically started scanning.
[Please enter your name.]
Chu Qianze randomly generated one, found it satisfactory, and clicked to confirm.
[Name: Chen Qianli.]
Then, he looked at his character template, without hesitation, he chose a loose robe with a large hat. After some thought, he added a small braid to his character.
Clicking to confirm.
[Player Chen Qianli is being born for you.]
The next moment, he found himself in a village.
[Welcome to Sheng Shi!]
A welcoming sound chimed in his ears.
Chu Qianze waited for a while, making sure there were no further prompts.
Although he knew the game had extremely high freedom, the lack of even a newbie guide surprised him.
[Enter the “Sheng Shi” game (Completed)]
Previously on the forum, it was mentioned that choosing a profession and registering in the central square would allow for an immediate job change, with the physician being one of the more common medical-related professions. However, Chu Qianze had no intention of doing things that way. Since the game encouraged self-exploration, why follow a predetermined path? After all, one could register for a central profession at any time. Might as well go try his luck now.
After searching through the village, he eventually stopped in front of a pharmacy.
The location was quite remote, tucked away in the deepest part of an alley. If he hadn’t paid close attention, Chu Qianze might have overlooked it.
The pharmacy door looked worn, giving off a sense that it might close at any moment. However, it was the only place he found related to potions outside of the central square.
Upon entering the house, he saw an old man sitting in the main hall, a bamboo basket beside him. He was sorting through the herbs in his hands.
It was time to test the thickness of his face.
Chu Qianze walked over, crouched down, and flashed a polite smile. “Grandpa, I’m new to the village and looking for some work. Do you need help here?”
“You want to work?”
The old pharmacist stopped his movements upon hearing this, scanning Chu Qianze up and down. “This is a pharmacy, and the work involves dealing with herbs. Do you know anything about medicine?”
Chu Qianze replied, “I have a good memory and can help you gather herbs, do some manual labor.”
“Gathering herbs isn’t a simple task; it involves a lot of knowledge.” The old pharmacist couldn’t help but laugh at this, and the wrinkles on his forehead deepened.
“Today happens to be a good day, so I’ll test you. If you pass, I’ll hire you.”
With that, he took out a book from his sleeve and opened it, pointing to one of the illustrations. “If you can find this herb among these baskets, I’ll consider you passed.”
“This is what you said.”
Chu Qianze’s gaze fell on the nearby bamboo basket, filled with medicinal herbs. He picked up one and examined it. Although it looked similar, the root structure was different.
Looking through the contents, Chu Qianze felt like he had entered a large-scale spot-the-difference game.
“Found it?” The old pharmacist urged.
“If you can’t even distinguish this, I think you should look for work elsewhere; this isn’t suitable for you.”
Setting down what he was holding, Chu Qianze looked up at the old pharmacist. “There isn’t the herb you mentioned in here at all.”
The old pharmacist’s mouth twitched, and his expression darkened. “Are you saying I’m lying? You’re young, but quite audacious.”
Seeing the frustration on the man’s face, Chu Qianze remained calm. Instead of hurrying, he pointed to the medicinal herbs on the ground.
He had just taken out one of each type of herb, carefully placing them in distinct groups on the ground.
“They may look similar, but there are subtle differences. These specimens differ in leaves, flowers, roots, and fruits, compared to the one you asked for. So, I boldly guess that the herb you wanted me to find isn’t here at all.”
After saying this, he smiled lightly and added, “I wonder if I’m right?”
The old man, upon hearing this question, burst into laughter. The gloomy expression from earlier seemed to be just a momentary illusion.
“Not bad, not bad. You do have some skills. Initially, I thought of throwing you a random challenge to make you give up, but it turns out I’ve found a gem.”
I knew it.
Chu Qianze silently thought to himself, maintaining a humble demeanor.
“Help me gather these herbs, not too many, just three will do.” The old pharmacist stroked his beard.
“The bamboo baskets are over there; just take any. It would be best if you could come back before dark.”
[Quest: Before nightfall, find 3 medicinal herbs.]
Picking up the bamboo basket nearby, Chu Qianze bowed to the old pharmacist and walked outside.
The environment for these herbs was harsh, and according to the instructions, there was only one place in the entire novice village where they grew.
As he walked along the path, a silver coin suddenly rolled out from a corner and stopped right at his feet.
Chu Qianze lowered his head to inspect it, carefully observing and confirming that it was indeed real. For a newcomer with no money, this was definitely a stroke of luck.
But when things go awry, there must be a demon at play.
Chu Qianze bent down to pick up the silver coin, and he handed it to the nearby guard.
Continuing on his way, he noticed a game item on the ground, a map pin.
“Messing up the road like this, if there were sanitation workers here, they’d be driven crazy,” he muttered, picking up the item and placing it on a nearby stone table.
Moving forward, he encountered a new piece of equipment with no level requirements, perfect for a novice like himself.
Chu Qianze didn’t pay much attention to it and continued on his way.
On the road to the small hill, he kept encountering various items, all conveniently useful for a newcomer like him, and their values seemed to be increasing.
Chu Qianze paid no attention.
Arriving at the place where herbs grew, he searched around but couldn’t find a trace.
No wonder the old healer only needed three plants.
Suddenly, he was stopped by a raggedy-dressed old man.
“Young man, could you lend me a hand?” Merck said.
“What’s the matter?” Chu Qianze responded, feeling like he had triggered some kind of task.
“I see those sheep over there looking quite healthy. Could you lend me one?” Merck said, pointing to the flock on the hillside.
“Do you know the owner of the flock?” Chu Qianze asked good-naturedly.
“Of course, I do,” Merck replied nonchalantly, shaking his head.
Seeing that the man wasn’t telling the truth, Chu Qianze mimicked his casual tone, “Well, then go ask them yourself. I have things to do, so I’ll be on my way.”
Just as he took a step, his path was blocked.
“Don’t go, young man. I can see you’re quite unique. How about this? See those little lambs over there? There are so many of them, and one missing won’t be noticed. You help me bring one over, and I’ll give you a martial arts manual. How does that sound?” Merck said slowly.
It turned out that regardless of the world, there were always these kinds of schemes.
Chu Qianze pondered and asked, “Is it the ‘Dragon Subduing Palm’ or the ‘Sunflower Manual’?”
“Dragon Subduing Palm, Sunflower Manual—what are these all about?” Merck asked curiously.
Merck found it strange, then waved his hand, “Never mind, those aren’t important. As long as you help me with this, I’ll give you this.”
Saying that, he pulled out a book.
Chu Qianze glanced at the title.
“Mechanical Disassembly Technique.”
“Disassembly?” Chu Qianze found it amusing; he had mastered that long ago.
“Not interested. Find someone else.”
He was about to leave but was blocked again.
“Grandpa, if you’re feeling lonely and want someone to chat or act with, that’s understandable. But disturbing others at work is not right. If you’re bored, I can take you to the village square; there might be old folks playing chess.”
“Good lad, I like your attitude.”
Upon hearing this, Merck not only wasn’t angry but laughed heartily.
This person must have a few screws loose.
Chu Qianze was about to speak when he noticed metal fragments shimmering in front of him.
Those were gun parts.
They hovered in the air, and time seemed to stretch infinitely, each part’s sliding trajectory carrying intense tension.
In the next moment, the parts moved, and the slow-motion effect disappeared as they came towards Chu Qianze like sharp swords.
He sidestepped a small part that came from the side, reaching out to slide to the side and maintain relative stillness. With fingers clasped together, he seized it.
He successfully snatched a part from Merck’s hand.
At the same time, countless parts in the air were assembled, forming a firearm. They hovered, all aiming towards Chu Qianze.
In the next second, a small revolver floated in front of Chu Qianze.
“Young man, come on, dismantle it.” Merck stood with his hands behind his back, looking mysterious and profound.
Chu Qianze stood in place, his gaze fixed on Merck, then picked up the object in front of him.
His index finger gripped the wrench, the revolver quickly spun down, and the barrel was raised, aiming at Merck.
Turning, loading, firing—
All happened in an instant.
The bullet flew out of the barrel, heading straight towards Merck. Judging by its trajectory, it would hit him between the eyebrows.
The accuracy was spot-on.
Metal shards flew out from the side, colliding with the bullet. The two forces opposed each other, causing them to fall off to the side.
The firearms in the air were simultaneously loaded, emitting a crisp and orderly sound.
“Hahaha, you’re still far off.” Merck stroked his beard with one hand, laughing in a sly manner. This guy, using my own things to attack me?
“I just wanted to test its performance,” Chu Qianze pulled out a reason. He took a deep breath and lowered his head to examine the item in his hand, observing its structure. Pressing down with his thumb on a certain part, he lifted it upward.
With the agile movement of his fingers, parts fell out and were caught by his other hand.
Left hand disassembling, right hand assembling.
As one hand’s parts disappeared completely, the other hand presented a fully assembled revolver.
Lifting the reassembled object with a slight flick of the wrist, he tossed it directly towards Merck.
Catching the object, Merck could immediately discern its quality with just one glance.
“Perfect mechanical sense, indeed worthy of perfect mechanical sense.” The mastery of mechanics was truly exceptional; it’s just that the strength was a bit weak.
But overall, the flaws didn’t overshadow the merits.
Windfalls don’t sway him, good character, and possessing a perfect mechanical sense—this guy practically looked like the ideal disciple in Merck’s eyes.
“Young man, would you like to be my disciple?” Merck asked.
“If I become your disciple, will you teach me the things you just showed me?” Chu Qianze smiled, seeming somewhat intrigued.
“Absolutely!” Merck lifted his chin, looking proud.
“Oh,”
Upon hearing this response, the corners of Chu Qianze’s mouth turned downward, smoothly changing his expression. “Not interested.”
Merck stumbled a step.
“Do you know who I am?”
So many people begged me to take them as disciples, and now that I’ve come to you, you still find fault?!
“I’ve already decided to learn pharmacy.”
Chu Qianze remained serious, “If there’s nothing else, please step aside and don’t block my way to gather herbs.”
“You, with such talent, are learning some useless pharmacy stuff? Old-fashioned! Stubborn! Do you even know what you’re rejecting?!”
Merck was displeased. With a wave of his hand, parts were rapidly disassembled and assembled. Using his arm as an axis, the frenzied assembly spread into the air, startling all the creatures, and they all scattered away.
“I am a mechanic! A true army of one, capable of facing a thousand troops and ten thousand horses!!”
Merck, who thought highly of himself, sneaked a glance at Chu Qianze, hoping for an admiring or appreciative look. Instead, he saw the latter pulling out a book from his pocket and flipping through its pages.
He felt a lump in his throat, and nothing seemed to go smoothly.
Merck’s eyebrows furrowed, and even his beard bristled, “Regardless, whether you want to enter this profession or not, you’re joining! If you don’t want to learn, well, I’ll force you to learn!”
“What kind of approach is this? Coercion and force?”
Chu Qianze sighed, handed the book over, and reluctantly showed a drawing to Merck.
“Do you know where there’s a large quantity of these herbs? How about this: you help me find them, and I’ll accept you as my master.”
“I, a prestigious mechanic, am compared to a small herb?!” Merck was furious.
“Do you know then?” Chu Qianze asked.
“I do know of a place.”
He chuckled, but he didn’t want to just give it away like that. He had to mess with this guy a bit.
“First, call me ‘teacher’ to try it out.”
“Teacher,” without hesitation.
Hmm?
“Now, call me ‘senior’ this time,” Merck said.
“Senior,” Chu Qianze said with an obedient look.
Just a moment ago, he wore a reluctant expression, but now that he knew I could take him to find herbs, his expression instantly changed.
Simply, simply—
Merck’s brow twitched, feeling a bit of annoyance, “You little rascal—”
Chu Qianze stood in place, watching as the weapons around them retracted.
“Really not bad, just like me when I was young! Hahaha, very good, suits my taste. Come, teacher, I’ll take you to pick herbs!” Merck said, grabbing the collar of Chu Qianze, directing the assembly of metal into a flying device, and then rushing outside with him.
After crossing several hills, he let go of Chu Qianze. “Here it is.”
Chu Qianze surveyed the surroundings; in front of him were the herbs he needed. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly felt coolness on his forehead. At some point, Merck had placed a stone against it.
[Unlocked hidden profession: Mechanic.]
[Player Chu Qianli has leveled up to level 6!]
Awakening a special profession, the experience reward directly caused Chu Qianze to gain five levels in one go.
“To prevent you from regretting it, I’ve sorted things out for you.” Merck grinned.
Chu Qianze checked himself and felt like there wasn’t much of a difference.
He focused on the task at hand, “Senior, can you control these machines to help bring all the herbs here?”
Saying that, he took down the bamboo basket, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.
“Make me do the manual labor? Don’t even think about it!”
Merck snorted coldly, then witnessed the changing metal particles in Chu Qianze’s hand. A mechanical sickle fell to the ground, crawling over to start harvesting the herbs.
“How did you do that?” Merck was astonished.
He hadn’t even looked at the tutorial!
“I wanted something to help with herb gathering, and it just appeared on its own,” Chu Qianze said, glancing at the slowly advancing mechanical sickle.
Still too slow.
Merck: “What else can you create?”
“Probably just this thing.” His own level was there, allowing it to assist in herb gathering was fine, but if it involved directing attacks on people, that would be a different story.
What do you mean, “just this thing”?!
Merck took a deep breath to calm himself. With a wave of his hand, throwing knives spun, cutting down all the herbs, and then he placed them into Chu Qianze’s bamboo basket.
He cleared his throat gently. “Seems like your talent is not bad, just a little bit worse than mine. In our profession, it’s about self-discovery. Everyone’s abilities are different. Keep this, learn on your own.”
Saying that, he tossed out a book.
[Mechanical Disassembly Technique: Mandatory course for mechanics.]
Not bad, keeping up with the times.
“It will manifest knowledge from different directions and fields based on your own state. With your rare perfect mechanical sense, I believe it will have extremely high compatibility with you,” Merck explained. Suddenly remembering something, he added:
“If you want to learn pharmacy, go ahead. We’re all free-range here, which won’t hinder your personal interests.”
Pharmacy isn’t an easy field to learn; there’s a lot to memorize, and not even a tiny mistake is allowed. He really wanted to see how Chu Qianze would handle the difficulty.
“You’re quite weak right now. Work hard to improve yourself, kid. Teacher here will continue to travel the world!” With that, Merck waved his hand, summoned his flying ship, and prepared to leave.
“Wait!”
Hehe, he can’t bear to part with his apprentice.
Merck turned around, looking composed, “What is it?”
“Senior, you brought me here; you should at least send me back.”
Thinking about the wild monsters they encountered on the way here, any one of them could have blown a breath and sent him back to the respawn point.
What a tricky guy!
Merck snorted heavily, grabbed Chu Qianze by the collar, and flew back with him.
Once back, Chu Qianze adjusted the bamboo basket behind him. “Thank you, senior.”
His tone was sincere.
Hearing those words, Merck’s expression softened a bit, and he crossed his arms. “In gratitude for your thanks, old man’s advice for you: Before you become powerful, don’t expose your identity as a mechanic in the central hall.”
“Is it the same for every main city?” Chu Qianze asked.
The central hall was the heart of the city; at least on this continent, it was a common structure.
Merck grinned mysteriously and teasingly.
“If you’re bored and want something to do, then expose it, it doesn’t matter.”
With that, he chuckled twice and flew directly away.
For some reason, Chu Qianze had a foreboding sense of unease.
“At worst, just hide your profession a bit more.”
Thinking too much about it now won’t change anything. Chu Qianze retraced his steps and delivered the herbs to the pharmacy.
The old pharmacist, seeing this basket of herbs, exclaimed, “Did you go to the back mountains?”
The back mountains were already beyond the beginner’s village area, where wild monsters roamed. In theory, it wasn’t a place someone of his level should safely reach.
“Back mountains?”
Chu Qianze looked puzzled.
“Nothing. You exceeded my expectations.” The old pharmacist lifted the bamboo basket, poured out the contents, and tossed a bag of money.
“Quality of these herbs is quite good, better than what’s in my store. Bringing them back wasn’t easy. Take this money.”
Chu Qianze accepted the bag of money and took out the book on identifying herbs.
“Senior, here’s your book.”
“I’ve read the contents of that book so many times; it’s all in my head. If you want it, it’s yours,” the old pharmacist said, lying back on a wooden chair, rocking back and forth.
“Well, I won’t be polite then.” Chu Qianze put away the book; he did indeed need it.
At this moment, a quest completion notification appeared on the game interface, accompanied by rewards: [Identifying Herbs], coins, and experience.
This generous old pharmacist exceeded expectations by a considerable margin, reaching an incredible level. The experience gained from this quest propelled Chu Qianze to level 7.
With the book [Identifying Herbs] he now had a reference for future herb gathering. The most valuable part was the annotations and experiences the old pharmacist had written on it—truly priceless.
“I see you’re a good lad. If you ever need to gather herbs, just call me over,” the old pharmacist said leisurely.
“Alright, thank you, Senior Pharmacist.”
Chu Qianze triggered a long-term quest. This quest not only provided experience but also improved his proficiency in medicine and herb gathering skills during the process of collecting herbs.
After bidding farewell to the old pharmacist, Chu Qianze arrived at the edge of the beginner’s village forest, ready to practice his skills as a mechanic.
Following the steps in the textbook, he simulated the emergence of machinery in his mind. The first thing he simulated was a heavy sniper rifle, something Chu Qianze was most familiar with and required the least amount of energy.
After some thought, he simulated a flying ship in his mind.
Component composition, circuit distribution…
Failure.
“The level is too low, is there no way to succeed?”
Muttering to himself, he simply switched to a small jet.
This time, it was a close success.
He equipped the jet on his back. Afterward, he slowly ascended into the air.
Looking at the trees below, which were gradually becoming smaller, Chu Qianze chuckled and started flying towards the back mountains. When Merck brought him over, he noticed that only land had wild monsters, and the sky was quite safe.
This was also the reason why he dared to come here alone.
At this moment, a huge shield flew out of the forest, coincidentally positioned below and slightly to the side of Chu Qianze, charging directly towards him. The shield spun, and Chu Qianze could feel the wind it stirred up.
“???”
Chu Qianze quickly dodged to the side, avoiding the attack. The massive shield continued its trajectory, moving far into the sky.
“That was close.” He breathed a sigh of relief.
At this moment, a strong wind swept in, a feeling he found annoyingly familiar. Chu Qianze looked back and saw the massive shield that had just flown away, completing a circle and returning with tremendous force. According to its trajectory, it was going to hit him directly in the face and body.
Due to level restrictions and insufficient agility, although his brain reacted, his body couldn’t keep up with the pace. He managed to tilt his body slightly, and the huge shield grazed the flying apparatus, causing him to plummet.
Trying to control the flying apparatus, he was notified that the damage was too high, rendering it unusable.
Looking back, he noticed a dent in the flying apparatus.
Helpless, Chu Qianze had to grab onto the nearby huge shield. After spinning in the air, he crouched on it. He took the opportunity to disassemble the jet, and, in the next moment, the heavy sniper rifle was back in his hands.
Chu Qianze aimed below and fired a shot, using the recoil to adjust his descent, hoping to land more gently. Finally, he descended into the forest, only to collide with a pair of large eyes, followed by a gaping, blood-stained mouth opening towards him.
It was a boss monster. At this moment, it was howling toward the sky. From Chu Qianze’s perspective, he could clearly see the teeth covered in sticky mucus and the constantly wriggling oral cavity.
“!”
Chu Qianze was shocked and subconsciously fired a shot downward.
Displaying no damage.
His level was too low, and he couldn’t inflict any harm.
“If I get eaten by this thing, I’d rather be killed by a player!”
Glancing at the boss’s health bar, it was in a critically wounded state, about to enter berserk mode.
Gritting his teeth, Chu Qianze adjusted his stance and positioned the giant shield beneath him.
“Shut up!!!”
Bang—!!
The giant shield descended horizontally, smashing directly into the big boss’s mouth, perfectly wedged in place, and halting its descent.
Under the influence of his own gravity and acceleration due to gravity, Chu Qianze successfully completed the critical hit challenge in a low-level state.
During this process, Chu Qianze’s health bar decreased by half due to the recoil force.
[Congratulations to player Chen Qianli for defeating the boss Beast!]
[Congratulations to player Chen Qianli for reaching level 9!]
After reaching level 9, the experience bar didn’t stop; it continued to rise and finally stopped at 92%.
At this moment, Chu Qianze was just a step away from level 10. With a few more ordinary tasks, he would be able to leave the beginner’s village.
The health bar, which was nearly depleted, had now fully recovered.
[Beast’s Tiger Tooth: Its proudest tooth, cleaned daily by the creek. Sharp and keen.]
[Beast’s Dumb Hair: Its favorite tuft of fur, combed daily with its claws. Soft and resilient.]
“These are… what?”
Chu Qianze looked at the items left behind by the boss.
Perhaps my luck is just this bad, getting things that seem useless. Can’t even sell them or be cute with them? But since they dropped from a boss, they shouldn’t be that bad… right?
Thinking this, Chu Qianze collected the items.
“Did you kill this beast?” a deep male voice sounded, and Chu Qianze turned around.
The man had broad shoulders, a narrow waist, a perfectly defined inverted triangle physique, and a tight-fitting undershirt that showcased his muscular chest perfectly. His armor added an extra touch of imposing presence. He frowned slightly, his expression cold, and his eyes fixed on Chu Qianze as he picked up the huge shield that had fallen to the ground.
[Character Unlocked: Zong Xinjue, Shield Warrior, Level 28.]
Chu Qianze blinked, wearing a friendly and harmless expression. He was about to speak when the man raised his shield and charged towards him.
“Hey, wait—”
Realizing the danger, restricted by the game attributes, Chu Qianze couldn’t react.
In the next moment, his health bar emptied.
Blinking again, he found himself at the respawn point.
The surroundings were lively, with many players looking disgruntled, while others chatted casually.
A flash of white light was nearby, and someone emerged, angrily vowing revenge.
Chu Qianze checked his status.
The experience bar was reset, and his level dropped to level 8.
Chu Qianze patted his pockets, realizing that the materials he had picked up were also gone.
He walked out, leaving the respawn point and returning to the newbie village.
Thinking about his recent experience of being killed, he sneered.
Zong Xinjue, huh?
This feud had been established.
In the following period, Chu Qianze became immersed in doing quests to level up while also diligently improving his skills as a mechanical engineer. Today, he finally managed to reach level 9 again, with the experience bar just a hair away from being full.
“Grandpa Doctor, I’m here.” Chu Qianze walked into the medical hall, taking the nearby bamboo basket initiative.
“What herbs do you need this time?”
The old doctor lay on a recliner, sunlight streaming down from the center of the hall, casting a warm glow on him. His eyes were slightly closed, and he looked very content.
“Page 98 of the book, the three mentioned there, bring me 20 of each, and make sure to return them before nightfall.”
[Mission: Herb Gathering.]
“Got it, I’ll definitely bring them back for you,” Chu Qianze said as he walked outside.
Arriving at the outskirts of the newbie village and seeing no one around, he closed his eyes. A small flying device was assembled.
The medicinal herbs mentioned by the old doctor happened to be found in the area behind the mountain, ensuring their quality.
Following his memory, he reached his destination. Chu Qianze stood on the flying device and started gathering herbs.
At this moment, a bright light flashed by, caught in the corner of his eye.
Wasn’t that the Celestial Herb?
Not entirely sure, Chu Qianze operated the flying device towards the steep cliff.
Glancing at his attribute panel, with not much stamina left, he needed to retract the flying device and take a break.
Arriving at the cliff, he retracted the flying device and crouched down to observe the small plant.
Taking out “Understanding Hundred Herbs,” he flipped to a page and compared the description in the book with the plant.
“It really is the Celestial Herb.”
A rare plant; during the harvesting process, it’s crucial to uproot it; otherwise, half of its effects will be lost.
He hit the jackpot!
Previously, he heard the old doctor mumbling about the Celestial Herb, and this time he found it. He wondered what kind of reward he would get for bringing it back.
After handling the Celestial Herb along with the surrounding soil, Chu Qianze stood up and saw someone coming up from below.
Hey, it’s someone he knows.
Zong Xinjue looked at Chu Qianze, then shifted his gaze to what he was holding.
“This is the Celestial Herb?”
“You must be mistaken.”
Chu Qianze remarked casually, placing the Celestial Grass into the bamboo basket and taking a step back while subtly preparing to simulate a flying device.
As the other person turned his gaze back to him, he lifted the corners of his mouth, displaying a genuine smile.
Don’t blindly trust your eyes; there’s something wrong with it.
Zong Xinjue’s gaze swept over Chu Qianze, and he furrowed his eyebrows, his tone not particularly friendly.
“I’ll take this Celestial Grass. What do you want? Name your price.”
Chu Qianze pulled the string of the bamboo basket, and a light breeze gently lifted his hair, making him appear harmless. “Anything will do?”
“Yes. Equipment, money, items, skill books—whatever you want,” Zong Xinjue said, crossing his arms, and the muscles in his chest tightened, reaching the utmost tension. He stood in place, waiting for this person’s answer.
“In fact, the thing I want is quite simple, and you can definitely do it. That is—”
Chu Qianze chuckled lightly twice, and in an instant, the heavy sniper rifle was assembled and appeared in his hands.
Lifting, supporting the handle, aiming—done in one smooth motion. A cold glint flashed in his eyes through the scope.
“Let me kill once.”
Bullets rapidly shot toward Zong Xinjue, cutting through the surrounding air.
Seeing this, Zong Xinjue picked up the massive shield next to him to block, but he was a step too slow.
[-2]
Ignoring the negligible damage.
Zong Xinjue, on the other hand, was pushed back half an inch by the impact.
Zong Xinjue paused as the bullet hit his abdomen.
[-3]
As expected, it didn’t work.
The level difference in this game is just too significant.
Under the substantial level gap, even enhanced bullets were nothing more than a minor annoyance.
Chu Qianze sighed inwardly and chuckled lightly.
“Well, it seems it’s not working. I’ll be on my way then. Good luck slipping and rolling down the mountain.”
Saying this, after firing another shot at Zong Xinjue, he took a step back and stepped into thin air. Meanwhile, the flying device began simulating its assembly in mid-air.
As per his expectations, he would land directly on the flying device.
Suddenly, his arm was grabbed, and Zong Xinjue appeared in front of him, holding onto him.
Chu Qianze widened his eyes.
Was that… teleportation?
In a daze, the assembly of the flying device was interrupted and dissipated into the air.
“Leaving? Hand over the Celestial Grass first,” Zong Xinjue reached for the bamboo basket.
“Let go of me! You!” Seeing that this person was about to succeed, Chu Qianze directly pried open that hand.
The two wrestled, neither giving in to the other.
As their bodies tilted, the medicinal herbs spilled out of the bamboo basket, including the Celestial Grass.
Chu Qianze tried to grab it, and Zong Xinjue prepared to catch it. Their hands collided.
In the end, they could only watch the Celestial Grass fall off the cliff until it disappeared from sight.
Chu Qianze was furious.
He looped his arm around Zong Xinjue’s neck, executing a grappling move, and both of them toppled toward the edge of the cliff.
During the descent, he leaned in close to Zong Xinjue’s ear, his tone casual yet audacious:
“Free of charge, I’m giving you a one-day tour at the respawn point.”
Doubt you can survive the fall.
Level 9 for Level 31, totally worth it!
A familiar white light flashed.
Chu Qianze opened his eyes, only to find himself not at the respawn point.
“In life, we cannot share a bed, but in death, we hope to share a tomb… It’s truly touching. There really is such a poignant love in the world. You must have gone through a lot,”
A sweet, delicate voice echoed around them, occasionally mixed with sobbing.
“Since we’ve met, I can’t just stand by and do nothing. Seeing how affectionate you two are, I’ll grant you both a chance.”
[Achievement Unlocked: Double Suicide Off a Cliff]
[Triggered Special Mission: Perfect Marriage]
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